1962 Liberty Bowl
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| MVP | OSU QB Terry Baker |
|---|---|
The 1962 Liberty Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played between the Oregon State Beavers, and the Villanova Wildcats.
Background
Both teams were independents. The Beavers were led by Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker in their first bowl game in five years as the Beavers had won seven straight games before this one, with highlight being a 27-0 win over No. 12 Stanford, a 51-22 rout of No. 19 West Virginia, and a 20-17 win after trailing 17-6 at halftime in the Civil War over Oregon. The Wildcats were in their second straight bowl game.
Game summary
Bad weather made the field frozen, and the weather never reached above 25 degrees, making efforts at getting toward the end zone nearly futile. Although Oregon State was the clear favorite, the Wildcats kept the game close. The game's only score came on a 99-yard run by Baker with under 10 minutes left in the first quarter. Trapped at their one after a punt, Baker was almost sacked by Al Atkinson for a safety. But he broke free, running by the sideline and sprinting toward the end zone. Despite two chances at a chance for two more points, their conversion attempt fell short, leaving it at 6-0. Villanova had a Billy Joe touchdown called back due to a penalty and had another chance intercepted by the Beaver defense. Baker went 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards and accounted for 250 of the team’s 299 yards. This was the first bowl win for the Beavers since 1942. [1]
Aftermath
Villanova's program soon went down below Division I after this game, and the Wildcats haven't returned to the FBS or a FBS bowl game since. The '62 Beavers team was honored 50 years later on September 8, 2012, with induction into the Beavers' Hall of Fame.